Find answers to the most common questions about entering the ETIH Innovation Awards 2027, including eligibility, categories, evidence, entry fees, key dates, judging and what happens after submission.

***ETIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Thesis SM, Bett and RTIH***

The awards are open internationally, with entries submitted through the dedicated ETIH Innovation Awards platform.

Entrants should review the criteria for their chosen category carefully before beginning an application and ensure their submission directly addresses what judges will be looking for.

For further information, explore the 2027 award categories, find out everything you need to know about the awards, meet the ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 judging panel, or visit the How to Enter page.

Our 2027 sponsors

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 are proudly sponsored by Thesis SM, Bett UK and Retail Technology Innovation Hub (RTIH). We’re hugely grateful for their continued support of the awards and their commitment to recognising the people, companies and technologies making a meaningful impact across education.

Enter the ETIH Innovation Awards 2027

Frequently asked questions

Eligibility and categories

Who can enter the ETIH Innovation Awards?

The awards are open internationally to EdTech companies, startups, scale-ups, schools, universities, colleges, education and training organisations, nonprofits, public-sector organisations, collaborative projects and individuals where the relevant category allows.

Can I enter more than one category?

Yes. Entrants may submit to multiple categories where the product, project, organisation or individual meets the relevant criteria. Each category should be treated as a separate entry and tailored to that award.

Can I submit more than one product or project?

Yes. Organisations may submit multiple products, projects or initiatives where they meet the criteria for the categories selected.

Can organisations submit a joint entry?

Yes. Joint entries and partnerships are welcome where the work being submitted meets the relevant category criteria. This may include, for example, an EdTech company entering alongside a school, university, education provider or delivery partner.

Can previous finalists or winners enter again?

Yes. Previous entrants, finalists and winners are welcome to enter the 2027 awards.

Can I nominate myself?

Yes. Self-nominations are accepted for individual categories, including EdTech Thought Leader of the Year.

How do I choose the right category?

Entrants should review the individual category descriptions and judging criteria before submitting. The strongest entry will be the one that most clearly responds to the requirements of its chosen category.

Does my product or project need to be fully established?

Not necessarily. The level of development, adoption and evidence expected varies by category. Some awards are designed for established solutions operating at scale, while others recognise emerging companies, developing initiatives or newer projects showing credible progress.

How recent does the evidence need to be?

There is no single programme-wide cut-off. The relevant timeframe and evidence requirements depend on the individual award, and entrants should follow the criteria set out for their chosen category.

What happens if I enter the wrong category?

ETIH reserves the right to move an entry to a more appropriate category where we believe this would provide a fairer or more suitable assessment. Where necessary, the entrant may be contacted before any significant change is made.

Can ETIH change or combine categories?

Yes. ETIH may refine, combine or expand categories where entry patterns indicate that doing so would create a stronger and more competitive awards programme.

Entries and supporting information

How do I enter?

All entries are submitted online through the ETIH Innovation Awards platform. Entrants create or sign in to their account, select the relevant category, complete the entry form and provide the required information and materials.

Where multiple submissions are being made, the platform can reuse previously entered information and pre-fill parts of subsequent application forms to make the process quicker. Each submission should still be reviewed and tailored to the category being entered.

Can I save my entry and come back to it?

Yes. Entries can be saved as drafts and completed later. Progress can be saved throughout the application process, and draft entries remain available in the entrant’s submissions area until they are ready to be completed and submitted.

Entries must be fully submitted by 23:59 UK time on Friday 26 February 2027. Draft entries that have not been submitted by the deadline will not be considered.

What evidence should I include?

Evidence requirements vary by category. Depending on the award, this could include user or customer data, learning or institutional outcomes, adoption figures, research, evaluations, testimonials, case studies, implementation evidence, commercial growth or other relevant measures.

Entrants should follow the specific criteria for their chosen award rather than assuming the same evidence is required across every category.

What supporting materials can I include?

You may upload a supporting file that provides additional evidence for your entry. This could include a research or evaluation report, impact or outcomes data, a case study, independent evidence, a presentation or another document directly relevant to the submission.

Supporting evidence is optional and should complement, rather than repeat, the information provided in the entry form. Entrants should select the material they believe provides the strongest additional evidence for the judges.

Can I edit my entry after I submit it?

Yes. Entries can be edited after submission while the ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 entry period remains open.

Once entries close on Friday 26 February 2027 at 23:59 UK time, submitted entries will no longer be editable unless ETIH reopens an entry for a specific reason. Entries cannot be edited once they have been scored by a judge.

Entry fees

How much does it cost to enter?

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 offer an early-entry rate until Friday 18 December 2026, followed by standard entry pricing until entries close on Friday 26 February 2027 at 23:59 UK time.

Multi-entry pricing is available for organisations submitting entries to more than one category, with the cost per entry reducing as the number of submissions increases.

Early-entry pricing

International

1 entry: £105
2 entries: £195
3 entries: £255
4 entries: £340
5 entries: £380

UK, including 20% VAT

1 entry: £126
2 entries: £234
3 entries: £306
4 entries: £408
5 entries: £456

Standard pricing

International

1 entry: £125
2 entries: £230
3 entries: £300
4 entries: £400
5 entries: £450

UK, including 20% VAT

1 entry: £150
2 entries: £276
3 entries: £360
4 entries: £480
5 entries: £540

What is the difference between UK and international entry fees?

Entrants based in the UK must select the relevant UK entry fee option, which includes VAT at 20%. International entrants should select the corresponding International fee option.

Please select the correct fee option when submitting your entry. If an incorrect international fee is selected for a UK-based entry, ETIH may contact the entrant to arrange payment of any outstanding amount before the entry can proceed through the awards process.

Why does ETIH charge an entry fee?

ETIH is an independent EdTech news publication, and the Innovation Awards are run as an independently operated awards programme.

Entry fees contribute to the costs of running the awards, including the entry platform, administration, finalist and winner communications, digital assets and promotion of the programme.

Charging an entry fee also helps ETIH maintain a clear separation between participation in the awards and its wider commercial and editorial activity.

Paying to enter does not guarantee finalist status, an award or editorial coverage, and entrants are not required to purchase advertising, sponsorship or any other commercial package in order to take part. Entries are assessed on their merits against the criteria for the category entered.

What happens after I enter?

What happens after I submit?

Once an entry has been successfully submitted, entrants will receive confirmation through the awards platform.

Following the close of entries, submissions will be reviewed before the finalist stage. The ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 finalists will be announced on Monday 8 March 2027.

Finalist entries will then move into the final judging period, which runs from Monday 8 March to Friday 26 March 2027.

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 winners will be announced online on Monday 12 April 2027.

Entrants should ensure that the contact details associated with their submission remain up to date, as these will be used for important awards communications.

How will finalists and winners be announced?

The ETIH Innovation Awards are fully digital. Finalists and winners will be announced online through ETIH, with finalists linked to their organisation or relevant website.

Finalists and winners will also receive official digital awards assets.

Is there an awards ceremony?

No. The ETIH Innovation Awards are a fully digital awards programme. Finalists and winners will be announced online through ETIH rather than at a physical awards ceremony.

What do finalists and winners receive?

Finalists will receive official ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 digital finalist assets and will be included in ETIH’s published finalist announcement, with links to the relevant organisation or website.

Winners will receive official winner assets, alongside recognition through ETIH’s online winner announcements.

Enter the ETIH Innovation Awards 2027